The Circle of Life
by hopes guardian02
Summary: “'Why is life so cruel' he asked between sobs. 'Because it’s not a fantasy,' she replied, tears streaming down her face." The Hope that changed her life. AH and AU.


**Finally finished! This story was written approximately a year ago but it wasn't until a few days ago that my editor and I decided to post it here. I was writing this story while in a very depressed mood one night. I was thinking about the sacrifices mothers make for their children throughout their lives and what the ultimate sacrifice would be. I may be an amature writer, but I hope at least one person enjoyed this story. There shouldn't be any spelling or grammatical errors seeing as it has been reviewed and revised by my editor jimmie91. If you do find some, feel free to tell us. Thanks and hope you enjoy! R&R! We don't mind constructive criticism.**

**EN (Editor's Note): I edited this story about five times at least so there REALLY shouldn't be anything wrong with it. As the author has already mentioned though, we'd appreciate constructive criticism. I'd like to know if I did something wrong :) I, personally, cried when I read this. And again when I edited it. So I'd recommend tissues!**

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She had always wanted a child. It seemed to be the one thing that would bring her the greatest joy. Ever since she was young, she had always been, in a way, obsessed with children.

When her sister was born, she was eager to help her mother raise the new baby. At the age of twelve, she began to help teach a class of toddlers at her sister's daycare. She also took care of her new cousin from the day he was born, bestowing upon herself the title of "mother." From that point on, her obsession grew.

She had taken a class in child care and helped teach a nearby kindergarten class, when the opportunity presented itself. When possible, her school reports revolved around this genre. She also began to take college classes to work toward her teaching degree. Her dream job was to be a preschool teacher, and hopefully open her own preschool.

At the age of fifteen, she had picked out the names for her children. She began to want a child of her own. Although she knew it was wrong, she envied the girls at school who were pregnant.

She grew up and achieved half of her dream. She was a preschool teacher and she loved it. She was happily married to the love of her life. Everything seemed great, except for one thing. The one thing that would bring her down. The only thing that could make her sit in a corner, hugging her knees, crying her heart out: she could not conceive a child. For her, this was death. Her entire life was devoted to children. Her entire life, since she could remember, revolved around children. Her greatest dream was sent hurling to the ground without mercy.

The blow was more than she could bear. Although she did her best to hide the pain, it was still there. It seemed to taunt her. She could not escape it no matter where she was. She tried to fight it, but always fell to the floor defeated. She wore a smile at work, the place where the pain seemed to deepen the most. However, her closest friends knew she was far from the smile she displayed upon her face. She felt useless even though it was not her fault. It was not anyone's fault. Still she felt that she was to blame. It was a painful time for her.

After some time, and many treatments and IVF methods later, she was finally pregnant. She was beyond happy; it was a inexpressible joy. It was a drastic turn from how she had felt before. She became very eager to meet her child. Every night before she went to bed, she would place her hands upon her stomach and sing to her child. Every morning she would place her hands upon her stomach and tenderly stroke it, caressing the child inside of her, bidding it good morning. She was happy every day, always placing her hands atop her unborn child in a loving way. Even when the morning sickness came, and all the fatigue brought her down, she wore a smile.

When she found out she was going to have a girl, she went on a shopping spree. Her husband did not mind, as he, too, was extremely overjoyed to become a father. Sometimes it was he who went crazy and bought anything he deemed adorable. The couple was beyond happy.

At some point they went to a jeweler. She wanted to get a necklace made for her child. It was a necklace with a clear gem. The gem had her name engraved on the back so that it could be seen through the front. Behind the gem was a silver circular plate the same size as the gem. A proverb that she had chosen was engraved on the silver plate. The entire purpose of the necklace was so that when her child grew up, she understood the meaning behind her name.

Finally the moment came, the moment she had been waiting for. Within a few hours she would meet her child, initiating the start of her new life. She went into labor with her husband right by her side.

It seemed to be going smoothly, but then some complications arose. There was confusion and panic in the room. She could not comprehend what was going on. All she knew was that she was beginning to feel a horrible, indescribable pain. The doctors came to her and "explained" what was going on. She didn't understand what they were saying; there were too many medical terms.

She lay in the hospital bed, physical pain being blocked out completely by emotional pain. It was the hardest thing to hear. It was more than anyone could bare. She closed her eyes and laid her head on the pillow. Her heart ached, and she could feel the burning lump in her throat begin to grow. Tears streamed down her face, and a cry of pain escaped her lips. Her husband's grip could only provide so much comfort. She could hear the words of the doctor in her head.

Basically, there was a huge complication. It seemed that she was bleeding internally due to a wound she had obtained years ago but had begun to bleed during the process of labor. She was losing a lot of blood quickly so there was a decision to be made.

No one should have to make this decision. It was a choice of life or death. If one was to live, the other was to die. One life would end, and the other would continue. To her, it was more of a statement than a decision: her child would live and she would die.

She opened her swollen red eyes and turned to look at her husband, who was shedding tears, and smiled at him.

"Why is life so cruel?" he asked between sobs.

"Because it's not a fantasy," she replied, tears streaming down her face.

They just stared at each other, speaking quietly. He knew what she had chosen and he was torn. He would have been torn either way. They argued silently.

"_You're leaving aren't you?_" he asked.

"_I have to_," she replied.

"_But I don't want you to. I don't want to be alone_."

"_You won't be._"

"_I know, but I won't be complete._"

"_But it has to be done._"

"_Why?_"

"_You know why._"

"_I won't accept this. They won't take you from me._"

"_They're not taking me. I have to go; my time is up_."

"_But our life is just about to begin_."

"_That's why I have to go. She's our life now._"

"_We have to stick together_."

"_We will always be together_."

"Can't we have another chance?" he asked aloud.

"Sometimes first chances are all we get," she answered.

"Isn't there any other way?"

"You know as well as I do that if there was another way they would have told us by now. This is the only way."

"I know."

"Promise me that you'll take care of her. That you'll look after her and give her everything she needs. That you'll raise her to be a great person. Teach her the meaning of her name. Let her know that there's always hope even in the worst of situations. Let her know that she means the world to us and that she is our life. Over all, give her all the love you give to me. Protect her and keep her safe for me. Please."

"I don't know why you ask this of me. You know without a doubt that I will do all those things."

"I know but I want you to promise me. Please."

"Of course. I promise to care for her and do my very best to raise her as you would want her raised."

"Thank you."

"I love you with all my heart. Don't you ever forget that. Even though I can't do anything to save you, know that I'll always be looking after you."

"I know. I love you, too."

With that all silently said, he kissed her. It was a kiss filled with love and longing. It would be one of the last kisses they would ever share.

She informed the doctors of her "decision." They said that they would do everything they could to save her, but did not promise anything. She just nodded.

It did not matter how much she wanted to live or how much she wanted to be with her family. Even the strongest of her emotions could not change that. Wanting something did not get what you desired. Wishes were not always filled. She knew this fact and accepted the hand fate had dealt her.

Still it hurt her that she would not be by her daughter's side. That she would not be able to help her grow. She would miss her child's first everything. The only thing she had ever wanted was to have a child of her own and to be able to raise it. She once again only got half of her wish, but she was content with it. She had the opportunity to undergo the greatest process in the human life. She was able to give life to someone else, someone who was a part of her. For this reason, she did not regret a thing.

After her child was born, the doctors began to work on her, giving her blood transfusions and many other procedures. Deep down inside she could feel her life slipping away. She knew this was the end for her. The doctors realized this as well and confirmed it. She had only a few minutes to live.

Her husband once again began to weep. A few minutes ago, he had come to some sort of terms with this, but it did not really hit him until now. He embraced her and told her how he felt, how much he loved her. They wept and held one another for a while. They remembered the times they had spent together and the happiness they had experienced.

Then their newborn child was brought to them. She held her crying child and looked at the little miracle. This was what she had waited for her entire life. She had been waiting for the moment when she would hold her child. When she would feel the warmth of her child and hold her little hand. This moment when she would finally meet the little creature that had been growing and living inside of her. This being that was made up of her and her husband.

A tear fell from her face onto the baby. Suddenly, the child stopped crying. She looked up at her mother and stared at her.

She looked upon her child and looked into her eyes. They were full of tears but she did not cry. Her breathing calmed down into soft gasps. She realized that her child sensed her condition. It was as if she was trying to understand her mother, to spend what little time they had left to bond with one another. As mother and daughter were lost in themselves, the doctors arrived.

Snapping out of her daze, she looked up at the doctor.

"What will you name her?" he asked politely, his voice choking back a bit.

She realized that this situation was too much for the doctor as well. She looked at her husband who had tear stained cheeks. She felt him squeeze her hand as if letting her respond.

Her husband knew how much she wanted to name their child. She had picked out the name when she was a teenager, for goodness sake. This moment was her dream, and he was going to give her what little he could.

Then her vision began to blur and brighten up. She looked around the room, hoping that her vision would clear. As she blinked furiously, she realized that it was not the tears that were clouding her vision. She heard a monitor begin to beep loudly. She saw what appeared to be doctors running around the room and heard them talking frantically.

She could feel her husband's hand grip her own tighter, and heard him desperately cry out her name. Everything began to slow down and then darken. She turned to her husband who was sobbing, pleading for her not to leave him. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. He forced a smile upon his face and repeated, "I love you," over and over again.

She turned to her child who was still looking at her. She hugged her tightly and held her hand, and the child began to cry. She knew what was happening. She just smiled and kissed her baby. She looked at her child, her dream, and her life as her vision continued darkening. She opened her mouth and managed to name her child.

"Her name is Marie Hope."

She felt her grip begin to loosen and felt awkwardly peaceful. As her vision completely darkened, the last thing she saw was her husband's and daughter's faces. The last thing she felt was her husband's embrace and her daughter cradled in her arms. The last thing she said was, "I love you both." Then nothing. She was gone.

Her husband wept and shouted. He just could not give the pain he felt a reasonable outlet. The only thing he could do was cry. His love and life had been taken from him and there was nothing he could do. He held his child tightly. She was the only being he had to look forward to in life. He was not going to let anything happen to her. This time, he would protect the one he loved from everything. She would be his Hope for the future.

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**P.S. This story could have worked from Rosalie's POV. This is my first fanfiction. I've written other stories though. I felt sorry for all the corny, cheesy, fluffy stuff you guys had to read. Don't forget, R&R! Thank you!**


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